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Kotomora

咋

shout, chew, eat

Strokes8

Readings

On'yomi

  • サク
  • サ

Kun'yomi

  • か.む
  • く.う
  • くら.う

Nanori

  • くい

Meaning

咋 centers on forceful oral actions: shouting loudly, chewing vigorously, or eating in a rough, noisy manner. The meanings share a sense of the mouth being used with intensity.

Study

Etymology

咋 combines 口 (mouth) with 乍, which likely contributes the sound and may suggest a sudden or forceful action. The exact historical development is uncertain.

Meaning mnemonic

A mouth (口) making a sudden, forceful sound (乍): imagine someone shouting 'Zha!' while chewing loudly or eating with gusto.

Reading mnemonic

For サク, picture a sack of food being chewed noisily: sack -> サク, and the mouth (口) is working hard on it.